Just wondering what uncommon/unusual applications of spells you've all found.

For example, while decompose corpse and restore corse seem to be tailored for creating skeletons and zombies, they can also be used to create edible game in the wild and to restore a victim to the time of death for forensic inquiry.

Prestidigitation has lots of fun applications, like creating a 3D hologram-like map for strategic planning.

Dunno how "unusual" a case this is, but I've got a grand scheme for using Sculpt Corpse to fake the deaths of my party members. Of course, a simple divination can bypass the trick, but it'd be useful for a diversion.

The Restore Corpse trick for unlimited wild game needs to be combined with Purify Food and Drink , since the meat created by the restore is "slightly rotten and unsuitable for consumption," or something to that effect.

Prestidigitation isn't good enough for a 3D hologram-like map; unless you are talking about a couple of vague splotches. The spell doesn't allow you to create specific and elaborate complex visual shapes. You need silent image to make a usable map that contains some degree of accuracy.

But, consider using message (along with a credible bluff check) to convince people that a god is speaking to them.

I have two that are rather situational. First, when the healer in the party went down, my wizard snapped off a Bear's Endurance to give him the hit points needed to wake up and heal himself. The second one was when we were facing a BBEG who kept using scrolls. He had a whole bag full of them, so I covered him in faerie fire and then dropped invisibility on him. His gear turned invisible too, no more reading the scrolls...

Also, I have made a grapple check to grab hold of an enemies armor, then teleported 10 feet behind our fighter. Took the armor with me and left the poor schmuck to face our melee guys in his skivvies.

Thanks for the feedack. In regard to the hologram-map, the spell says you can make crude objects. Essentially, we used it to make a crude, fragile, transparent map of a place. You flick it and it shatters. Not really a hologram, as it's physical, but fun nonetheless for a 0 level spell in a non-combat situation.

Use Arcane Mark to mark bad guys so your party can identify them later if disguised. Also, use Arcane Mark to send secret messages by putting it on animals (horses, mice, etc). "Come here", "Do not trust", "Flee".

Cast Enlarge Person on enemies to make it harder to fit into tight spaces in which you flee.

Cast expeditious retreat in combination with somebody who has Spring Attack for great hit and run action.

Cast Shrink Item on something dangerous (like a fire) and toss it at your enemies offensively.

Use Exploding Runes as an assassination weapon by sending a message to the enemy leader.

I've used Arcane Mark to convince a mercenary that I made a bargain with that he would be cursed if he broke his oath. I made the Mark flare visibly as we sealed the deal, and then used Bluff to do the convincing. He never betrayed us once.

The party I was DMing was once fighting a group of druids and had killed a few of them. A lower level one cast faerie fire on the barbarian and told the rest of the party if they didn't leave the magic would cause him to implode. They left.

Either force someone to drink it, or spike a drink with it, and watch the confusion on your target's face turn to horror as it is ripped from his body. WHile his body is helpless, coup de grace. There is no save applicable for Skinsend, as it is a personal spell. There is also no SR applicable, so you could, theoretically at least, affect devil, demons, and the like.

Once the body is dead clean up the Str 3 skin, or let it die on its own when the duration runs out.

Summon instrument and Catch off Guard.
Shrink item on large stone, then use a sling and dismiss the spell.
Shrink item on a feast, feed to enemy, then dismiss.
Polymorph any object a pc into arrow, spell ends, grapple enemy.
Animate objects on barrels of blackpowder for suicide bombers.
Animate objects with restore and sculpt corpse on fallen foe for ton's of fun.
Prestidigitation to soil everything.

One of my favorites is to use your illusionist at some point to disarm every trap in the horribly over-trapped corridor. He wanders in, steps on pressure plate, and chaos ensues. Now he is bleeding at the far end of the hall, but all the traps are triggered. Party runs down to save you. Needless to say, you are hiding behind a barrel in the safe room, and now the party is doing what your illusion did just moments ago.

I've used Arcane Mark to convince a mercenary that I made a bargain with that he would be cursed if he broke his oath. I made the Mark flare visibly as we sealed the deal, and then used Bluff to do the convincing. He never betrayed us once.

Thanks for reminding me! I did this once in 2e with a tiefling blade. Delivered chill touch by a kiss. "Mmmmm, I just tasted your soul. Cross us and I'll know. And then I'll come back for the rest."

Our party was once starving in the wilderness, no food and and the one person with survival kept failing their rolls. I had the great idea to have everyone get downstream from me in the river then I cast color spray into the water. Fish floated up to the surface and the part grabbed them as the current took the fish towards them.

If you have the 10 minutes for it, Secure Shelter makes an AWESOME roadblock/gate bar. Has the durability of a stone building, and if you place it right, people have to break 2 'stone' walls to get through it. Or climb over it, whatever. Great for ambushes.

Today during battle the party shaman used Mending to sew a foe's pants together so that he couldn't walk properly. I found this so funny that I had him decide that he had to take his pants off in order to move around (he had sandals as footwear which made this viable) and taking the pants off was a full round action that provoked an attack of opportunity.

I may have a lot more enemies in dresses, kilts or loincloths in the future.

One of my favorites was the use of prestidigitation to attach circus music to a rogue's person just before he went invisible.

The party tracked him through the sewer by following the music. So much for the DM's dramatic moment.

I am not sure you could do that with that spell. In fact, after reading the spell I would nix that one at my table. Now, if one of your party members or an animal companion had the scent ability you could attempt to make them smell unique enough to allow a minor bonus to tracking by scent, which would have ended up having the same effect.